The Lord’s Prayer is recorded in two of the four gospels: Matthew 6:7-15 and Luke 11:1-13. There is a phrase in that prayer that has been emphasized in church circles more and more in recent years – Your Kingdom Come. There are several movements in Christendom (especially in worship communities) that are praying that same prayer, “Your Kingdom Come!” We all want to see Heaven on Earth, but what if it’s already here? If you will lend me the next few moments you have, I hope to encourage you and inspire you to believe.
Isaiah heralds a coming King in his prophecy – Isaiah 9:6-7 NKJV:
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
These are good tidings of great joy. The government that Jesus ushered in was a kingdom – the very Kingdom of Heaven! Jesus explained it to the religious leaders in Luke 17 (NCV) like this:
God’s kingdom is coming, but not in a way that you will be able to see with your eyes. People will not say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ because God’s kingdom is within you.
We can see the setup. Throughout His time teaching here on Earth, Jesus taught on things pertaining to the Kingdom. The Kingdom of Heaven exists in a living, breathing Spirit – the very Spirit of God. His final days spent with His followers, Jesus instructed them to go and wait for the Promise of the Holy Spirit. I love the way Paul declares it in Ephesians 4:10 KJV
He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.
WOW! The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in all who believe – manifesting Heaven on Earth! So instead of praying that Heaven come down, let’s bear in agreement for Heaven to come out! The very nature and character of God that Jesus bore so well is now ours because of Him! It is perfectly conveyed in Philippians 2:1-18 NLT:
Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.